30 September 2008

Hi ! The festival season is in full swing all over India with the celebration of Navratri Festival with great joy and enthusiasm. I very much remember the time that I spent in Bhubaneshwar where the celebrations start with the first Day of Navratri or I should say a bit earlier.The beautiful Pandals in different parts of the city are decorated for Durga Puja. The whole city is in festive & holiday mood. Bhubaneshwar is not only the city of temples but it is also a centre of cultural actvities. I also want to share a beautiful Greeting Card issued by India Post and designed by noted philatelist and artist of Calcutta Shri Dipok Dey which takes me down memory lane to my visit to Calcutta & meeting with Shri Dey as well as five years time that I spent in Bhubneshwar. I also want to show you here the very beautiful stamps issued by Australia on 23 September 2008 for Special Occasions. The stamps are really beautiful, filled with love and emotions. I hope you will enjoy these philatelic items which quite match with this festive mood. I have also a question from a Reader. I have already replied in the comments box in one of my previous posts. But Readers are requested to give their comments. As some Post offices charge Rs. 20 & some charge Rs. 25 for 20 gm letter (foreign mail) . In our regular series the remaining se-tenants of Buddha theme from the album of our distinguished member Shri Shrikant Parikh.This is all for Today ! More in next ...Till ..then ..... Have a nice time! ..

For Special Occasions

Date of Issue : 23 September 2008

Max Cards

A Question from a ReaderI have been reading your blog since many days. I have a general question which I think you are able to explain. In the website of Post it is said that the foreign letter cost is now Rs.20, but when I went to the Post office they said it as Rs.25, Who is correct, Why sudden rise of rates upto Rs.10, What is the cost to send a picture postcard to a foreign country, hope you will explain.

29 September 2008

Hi ! in Today's Post I have a good news for the lovers of Gandhi stamps. An exhibition has been organized in London at Nehru Centre on stamps of Gandhi and Jainism. The detailed news has been sent by our very distinguishd member Mr. Prakash Mody from Canada who has been working a lot for promotion of Philately. Philatelists in London will have a chance to see this grand exhibition showing the stamps on Gandhi and Jainism issued by different nations. I have received some beautiful Max Cards prepared by our member Er. H.K. Jain from Mandla (M.P.). I have already published some Max.Cards prepared by Mr. jain in my earlier posts. Here are some more magnificent cards prepared by him. As the birthday of our Father of Nation is very near. I am giving here some beautiful se-tenants from the album of Mr. Shrikant Parikh. This is all for today !....... Have a nice Time !.....

Date of Issue : 2 october 1994

Gandhi stamps to go on show

A unique collection of stamps on Gandhi and Jainism (non-violence) is to be exhibited at Nehru Centre in London tomorrow 30 th September 2008. In the 60th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi?s death, more than 300 individual stamps of Mahatma Gandhi, from over 60 countries, highlight how the world has honoured the father of India through philately.The first ever stamps depicting Gandhi were issued in 1948 to mark the first anniversary of Indian independence and in 1961 the USA issued stamps with the great leader under the theme of ?Champions of Liberty?.Over 100 countries throughout the world have followed suit with commemorative stamps and coins.In association with the Hindu Forum of Britain and organised by Amu Shah, a keen philatelist as well as chairman Hindu Council of Tanzania and the founder Chairman of Tanzania Philatelic Association, the display of all Gandhi philatelic items will form part of a wider programme of non-violence being run by the Nehru Centre. Amu Shah said: ?I have been passionately collecting stamps ever since I was a child. My collection include various topical issues, specifically on non-violence and Gandhi for 40 years and my entire collection will be on show at the exhibition. "The theme of non violence has a relevance to Jainism as Gandhi adopted the principle from Srimad Ramchand, a Jain saint and philosopher." Ramesh Kallidai, secretary general of the Hindu Forum of Britain, added: "Most of finest and great statesmen and women of the 19th and 20th Century have been honoured through the issue of commemorative stamps and coins and Gandhi is no exception."

This exhibition offers a fascinating insight into how the world has not only celebrated his achievements but also used his and Jainism?s teachings of non-violence to promote peace and liberty.?

The free exhibition will be open from 10 am to 7.30 pm. on 30 September and 1st October and from, 10 am to 1 pm on 3 October 2008 at the Nehru Centre, 8 South Audley Street, London, W1K 1HF.

28 September 2008

Today is World Heart Day. Keep your Heart Risk Free. Attack the "Heart Attack" before it attacks You !

Happy Hearts are Healthy Hearts!

World Heart Day 2008 - 'Know Your Risk' - is a call to action to help people better understand their personal risk for cardiovascular disease, including hypertension (high blood pressure). Heart health screening and other activities for the public are being planned in over one hundred countries worldwide.

A 3 gram reduction in a person’s dietary intake of salt would result in over a 20% drop in deaths from stroke and over a 15% fall in deaths from heart disease. As heart disease and stroke are the world’s number one killer, causing 17.5 million deaths every year, eating half a teaspoon less of salt each day could save millions of lives.

High blood pressure or hypertension is the biggest single risk factor for heart disease and stroke and currently affects more than a billion people worldwide. However by the year 2025 it is estimated more than 1.5 billion people,3 or nearly one in three adults over the age of 25, will have high blood pressure. This is why this year’s World Heart Day taking place on Sunday 28th September is urging people to take action and visit their health-care professional to “Know Your Risk!”

Risk factors for heart disease and stroke include high blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, smoking, inadequate intake of fruit and vegetables, overweight, obesity and physical inactivity. Taken together, these major risk factors account for around 80% of deaths from heart disease and stroke.Heart disease and stroke cause the equivalent of more than one death every two seconds, as many deaths as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and diabetes, all forms of cancer and chronic respiratory disease combined.

There is a vast public misperception and disproportional lack of attention paid to people’s risk of heart disease and stroke in relation to more sensational health issues. As a result, people tend to overestimate the number of deaths from rarer and infrequent risks while underestimating those from more common causes such as heart disease and stroke.

How to reduce salt in your diet

The UK Food Standard Agency provides the following dietary tips to make sure people do not consumeexcess salt and to help protect them from heart disease and stroke

Hidden salt

When most people think of salt, they think of shaking it on their food, or adding a pinch to cooking. However, you also need to be careful about the salt you can't see. The World Health Organization recommends a maximum quantity of 5 grams of salt a day7, which is about a teaspoonful. This is not a large amount, especially when you consider that 75% of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy. Therefore, before you assume that you don't eat too much salt, take a look at what you're buying, as well as how you use salt at home.

Tips on reducing salt in your diet

There are a lot of simple ways to reduce the amount of salt you eat, whether you're cooking or choosing food at the shops. Try not to add salt automatically when you're cooking or about to eat. Often people only use salt out of habit.

When you cook, there are lots of ways to add flavor to your cooking without using any salt.-Add fresh herbs, use black pepper, garlic, ginger, chili and lime in stir fries.-Marinate meat and fish in advance to give them more flavor.-Roast vegetables such as red peppers, courgettes, fennel, parsnips and squash to bring out their flavor.

When you eat, there are lots of ways to eat less salt.

-Choose healthier breakfast cereals. Try puffed wheat or wheat biscuits with no added salt.Snack on plain popcorn or unsalted nuts and seeds, instead of crisps or crackers.-Go easy with ketchup, soy sauce, mustard, pickles and mayonnaise - these can all be high in salt.-When you have a salad, use only as much dressing as you need. Some dressings can be high in salt.

When you buy food, find out the amount of salt in foods, you normally eat.

You will then discover how easy it can be to eat more than 5 grams. One of the simplest ways to cut down on salt is to compare foods and choose those which have a lower salt content whenever you can.

27 September 2008

Hi ! Today is 27 September which is observed as World Tourism Day. On this special day I want to share some beautiful philatelic items from my own collection as Tourism is my theme.Tourism is a wonderful phenomenon which is liked by one and all. As everyone loves to visit new places and see the different culture & life style of the people. The whole Tourism Industry celebrates this day in a very special way by giving discounts to the tourists and giving a warm and very special welcome to the visitors. So just remember this day and if you get a chance to visit the best hotel or restaurant of your city you will certainly see the special decoration and special offers on this Day and will have a very nice experience. Well I love travelling and collecting beautiful philatelic items on Tourism. So I want to share with you some of my favourite philatelic items selected for this special day which covers almost every aspect of Tourism like culture, Wildlife, scenic beauty and well a lovely mouth watering part of Tourism i.e. special cuisine of a particular place. If you ever visit a new place never miss to taste the typical local food . It is always very delicious though very different from your own taste. I am just writing about travelling , food and beautiful places. Beautiful places, good food and a sweet music are the best part of tourism which really refrshes your mind and soul & makes your journey memorable for a life time.Take a look to these beautiful items which depict our country and culture on foreign stamps. In our regular series some magnificent se-tenants on Buddha from the album of our ditinguished member Mr. Shrikant Parikh.Buddha was a great traveller who visited many places in search of enlightment. When he got enlightment he spread Buddhism in different corners of the world. I hope you will enjoy Today's Special Post on Tourism. Have a very Lovely & Fantastic Day !

World Tourism Day

Taj Mahal - Pride of India

(Max Card just sent by my Blogger friend George Wu from Taiwan.Thanks George ! for this beautiful card.)

Tourism - A combination of art, culture, monuments,wild life & recreation(M/s from Japan)

Tourists are our Honoured Guests!

Thai Cuisine

Daman - For all Seasons

From Se-tenant album of Shrikant Parikh

Theme - Buddha

Buddha - The Great Traveller

Date of Issue:2 May 2007

Buddhist Cultural Sites

Date of Issue : 6 June 1997

Tabo Monastery

Date of issue : 31 December 1999

India is an ancient land with a civilization and culture, which dates back thousands of years. Indian Culture has always had a deep rooted respect for the diverse cultural and religious identities which together created the civilization of ours. The concept of Indian nationhood is based on the existence of diversity of multiplicity of religion, languages, customs and beliefs - a composite culture. So India is a great tourist attraction for all. The above se-tenants depict some important Buddhist Cultural sites - Ruins of Nalanda, Bodhi Tree, Stupa & Pillar and Tabo Monastery situated in the picturesque Lahul & Spiti District of Himachal Pradesh.This Monastery is more than 1000 years old. The monastery has nine halls where besides stucco images of The Buddha there are wall paintings depicting Buddha's life and stories from Jatak tales.

26 September 2008

Hi Readers, In yesterday's Post I wrote about a beautiful city of Poland. Today in the continuation one more beautiful historical town of Poland Jelenia Gora.Jelenia Góra appears for the first time on a postage stamp and is the 19th city in the series the "Polish towns and cities" issued by the Polish Post since 2002. On account of the celebrations of 900 years of the history of Jelenia Góra,Polish Post issued a stamp which shows a town hall and the Neptune fountain, and the First Day Cover presents the Chojnik castle.A previous town hall was burnt in the 17th century. When in 1739 a strong wind blew down a rebuilt tower of the town hall, the decision was made to build a new building. In around 1750 a new classicistic building of the town hall was erected on the remains of the medieval tenement houses based on the design of Ch.G. Hedemann.A baroque fountain of Neptune built in a place where a city well was sunk, is a symbol of trade contacts of merchants from Jelenia Góra with overseas.The Chojnik castle on the Chojnik hill (627 m. AMSL) was built in the 16th century in the times of the Piast dynasty duke Bolko II. The castle was then developed by the Schaffgotsches but it burnt down in 1675. Now it invites visitors. Every year knights cross-bow tournaments are held there.Just take a look to this beautiful stamp from Poland. A brief Club News for your information. In our regular series some stenants from the album of Mr. Shrikant Parikh. This is all for today... Till Next Post Have a Nice Time !....

Date of Issue : 20 August 2008

Polish town - Jelenia GóraIn the place where two rivers Kamienna and Bóbr join, in a valley surrounded by the Izerskie, Kaczawskie and Karkonosze mountains, lies a city called "Pearl of the Karkonosze Mountains" (Perła Karkonoszy) - Jelenia Góra (previously Hirschberg). A traditional Latin inscription on a town hall says: "The city was built by Bolesław Krzywousty in 1108". In the 13th century the settlement was granted civic rights. In the 16th century it was famed for the production of linen as well as mining and metallurgy. During the Thirty Years War (1618-1648) the city was heavily damaged. Thank to textile industry and trade it got up and enriched. Another crisis came in 1742, when Silesia became incorporated into Prussia and later on Germany. From the 18th century Jelenia Góra made use of its development of tourism and that is when more hotels, restaurants and shops appeared. In the 2nd half of the 19th century railway led to Jelenia Góra.Jelenia Góra is also a tourism base on these days. Main city places are: those of the medieval times (e.g. remains of the fortifications and a 16th century church by the saints Erasmus and Pancras) and of the baroque (e.g. city square tenement houses) as well as green areas and a famous Cieplice health resort with hot springs. This year an additional attraction in Jelenia Góra is the celebration of the city's 900 years of history and for this occasion many concerts, historical event, market, outdoor and sport events will be organized. A jubilee local ducat has been issued.Courtesy - Polish Post

Recognition of the faith diversity within the nationThis is in connection with my request to the postal administration of United States Postal Services (USA), Canada Post (Canada) and Royal Mail (U.K.) to issue DIWALI stamps for the Hindu, Sikh & Jain faiths, who form a substantial population in the respective countries. X'mas (Christian) stamps are too numerous of these nations hence not shown here. India has issued stamps of diversity, greetings and religious festivals, though secular! Please let us know, if you are aware of similar thematic stamps of globally. A thing of beauty is joy forever.

25 September 2008

Hi Readers ! In Today's Post here is a beautiful city of Poland. As The Postal Administration of Poland is my favourite Postal Administration in the world. I don't want to miss any of the new issues of this country. The stamps are so beautiful that really shows the great work done by the artist in designing the stamp. The design of each issue is always unique and depicts a great aesthetic sense.The "Polish towns and cities" (Miasta Polskie) philatelic series begun in 2002 with the issue of a collection of stamps related to the Polish capitals - Gniezno, Krakow and Warsaw. Later, also the town of Płock, and the oldest Polish city - Kalisz, were presented on postage stamps. Raciborz is the 18th town in the series. In second part some lovely poses of Aldabra Giant Tortoise sent by our distinguished member Mr. H.K. Jain from Mandla (M.P.). There is a craze for these Giant Tortoise Stamps among Indian Collectors because of its unusual shape and beautiful design. They are experimenting to bring out different poses of these lovely creatures from the sheetlets. Here are some nice cut outs from sheetlets.In our regular series some se-tenants from the album of Mr. Shrikant Parikh on Children Theme. This is all for today !.... Have a Nice Time !.....

Polish cities - RacibórzHistory The first mention of the town being captured by the knights of Bolesław Krzywousty in 1108, found in the Chronicles and Deeds of the Dukes or Princes of the Poles by Gallus Anonymous, is the reason for this year's celebration of the 900 years of history of Racibórz. Racibórz is located in south-western Poland by the river Odra. Due to its location in the vicinity of trade routes, it was very significant in the Middle Ages as a centre of craftsmanship and the venue for the largest grain market in the entire region. In the 12th century, Racibórz was the seat of the castellan's district ("kasztelania" - a mid level local administration unit in the Middle Age Poland, with a castle or an important town at its centre) and subsequently the capital of the Racibórz Principality. It was ruled by the Piast Dynasty (until the 14th century), the Przemyslid Dynasty, the House of Habsburg (beginning with the 16th century), later it was in the hands of the Prussians (the 18th century) and the Germans, and beginning with 1945 it has been a part of Poland. Racibórz was heavily damaged in the course of the Thirty Years' War, and subsequently ruined in 1945. In July 1997, 60% of the area of the town was under water as a result of a massive flood. Presently Racibórz is an industrial centre, known for the fact that it was the first Polish and European city to obtain the ISO 14001 quality certificate used in eco-management. Apart from many historical sites, the town's assets include a well developed infrastructure for sports.

Date of Issue : 1 July 2008

The design of stamp and First Day Cover

The postage stamp, issued by the Polish Post on account of the celebrations of 900 years of the history of Racibórz, depicts two characteristic elements. The first one is a renaissance tower (a prison) erected around 1574. As a distinctive feature of the town, the tower is included in its logotype.The second element depicted on the stamp is a late-baroque Marian column, carved in sandstone by Jan Melchior Österreich between 1725 and 1727. It was ordered as a votive offering to Virgin Mary in gratitude for the end of the epidemic in 1715. On the top of the column, consisting of carved clouds, there is a figure of the Virgin Mary. A triple sided pedestal at the base of the column contains the figures of patron saints: St. Marcel - a pope and patron of Racibórz, St. Florian - a patron of fire fighters and St. Sebastian - defender against plague. The column was miraculously saved from war damage even though it stands in the centre of the town square and the tenements surrounding it were all destroyed. The First Day Cover shows the Chapel of Thomas Beckett dating back to the end of the 13th century, referred to as the pearl of the gothic architecture of Silesia (the Śląsk region). It's a renovated part of the gothic-renaissance castle of the dukes of Racibórz. A general renovation of the building has recently been launched. The occasional date stamp used in the Racibórz Post Office contains the town's coat of arms, depicting half of an eagle and half of a wooden wheel.Courtesy - Polish Post

Aldabra Giant Toroise in different moods from collection of Hemant Kumar Jain

23 September 2008

Hi ! I am back after a long gap as I had a forced holiday due to heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh, paralysing the normal life here with no power supply and dead telephone lines. Nature is a blessing but sometimes it shows a very differernt picture before us. This is what happened here in last few days.Continuous heavy rains caused land slides at several places resulting in many deaths and collapsing of houses and also destroying electricity and telephone lines which was so severely affected that it took about four days to repair. As the Himalayan Eco - System is very fragile, it is worst affected during natural calamities like earthquakes and continuous rains. Heavy land slides are one of the biggest disasters for local people and tourists during the monsoon season. It may be strange and unbeliveable for people living in metros and big cities but the life of people living in hills is very tough. Sometimes they have to walk on foot for more than 40 miles to reach their destination on uneven distorted path crossing land slides and water streams during heavy rains and snowfalls. There are many areas which are cut off from the world for more than a week during these extreme seasons. A Deodar Tree which is about 50-60 ft in height get uprooted during the landslides and block the roads and some times destroying the houses if fallen on the roof. It is expected that more than 1500 such trees have fallen down during the past heavy rains in different areas of Shimla District. It will take a long time to recover the loss and make life normal in certain remote areas. Any way the things are getting normal over here. I am writing this Post for you. As I am talking about the nature I have a beautiful Miniature sheet to show you here on Nature issued by Czech Republic on 28 May 2008. A note from our member Mr. Niket Bubna on one of recent issues of India. India Post issued 3 stamps on personalities on 17 September 2008. Our sincere thanks to Mr. V.K. Sabharwal for the images of these issues. In our regular series some se-tenants from the album of our distinguished member Mr. Shrikant Parikh. This is all for Today !.....Till Next Post have a Great Time.....

NATURE PROTECTION TŘEBOŇSKOTřeboňsko, the flat fishpond basin of 700 km2 crossed with the Lužnice river, was declared a protected land area in 1979. In 1977 it was designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The originally monotonous wetland region of Southern Bohemia became diversified in the process of creation of extensive fishpond networks started already in the 16th century. The present harmonic pattern of water and farming areas changed with the typical residential areas and forests makes it an internationally significant area from the ornithological point of view. It is the home of many kinds of song-birds and most of the Czech water and wetland birds, e.g. white egret, grey heron, marsh harrier, white-tailed eagle (reintroduced). A significant part of Třeboňsko flora are the large oak trees growing on pond dikes and a most precious variant of Třeboňská pine. Like the meadows and ponds and pools with white and yellow water lilies, bladderworts or pondweeds, the sand hills, peat lands, marsh meadows are also a place of specific flowers. The area is the home of different kinds of insects, amphibians, about twenty-five kinds of fish, several couples of Eurasian otter and the reintroduced beaver. The most precious small protected locations are Červené blato, Stará řeka, Velký Tisý and Malý Tisý, Novořecké močály, Meandry Lužnice, etc.

Club News

Niket Bubna writes from US.....I want to bring to notice one more error by the Department of Posts, Govt. of India. Firstly, I would like to just voice my feelings for such neglect for designing and printing of the postage stamps. It is greatly appreciated that Tamil Nadu personalities are being commemorated with umpteen number of postage stamps and the Hon'ble Minister of C& IT also belongs to the same state. I would just like to request the Minister to allow or persuade the employees to take greater care for issuing a postage stamp.

This request of mine, arises from the latest postage stamp release on the stalwarts of the Justice Party of Tamil Nadu. The postage stamp on Sir Pitti Theagarayar, a former President of Madras Municipality is beautifully designed and well thought upon. The spelling of Sir Chetty's name, in the vernacular language (Hindi) is incorrectly mentioned as 'Thagarayar' and not 'Theagarayar'. The correct spelling is although carried on the FDC!

It is just frustrating to know that a government department commemorating such important events and people cannot get its act right with this regard. The philately division at New Delhi has, to my knowledge only this work attached and has artists and people working exclusively for preparing new postage stamps.

It would be much advisable that the new employees hired, in case that is done, have taken there Hindi lessons and not just be Anglicised. It is sheer disrespect to a language of the country and its people. We should not forget that Hindi is still the most widely spoken language in India and also may be an official language of the United Nations soon.

EIPEX-08 Eastern India Philatelic Exhibition, Bhubaneswar

ORGANISATION, VENUE AND DATE:EIPEX-08, Bhubaneswar is being organized by the Eastern India Philatelists’ Association with active support of the Department of Posts. The exhibition will be held on 25th and 26th,October, 2008 at the Jayadev Bhawan, Unit-II, Bhubaneswar-751001.

CONDITION OF PARTICIPATION:The participation is limited to the members of the Eastern India Philatelists’ Association whose membership is accepted by 31.08.08 only. No previous award is required for the exhibition. The exhibition will be a Non-competitive one. Only one exhibit from one family is allowed. The maximum number of frames per exhibit is limited to 5 only.

ENTRY FORM:Exhibitors will submit their entry form in duplicate to the Organizing Committee, EIPEX-08. The last date of submission of entry form is 15.10.2008. The details of Rules, entry form can be down loaded from the website http://eipadownload.blogspot.com/ or can be collected from the Philatelic Bureau, Bhubaneswar GPO personally.

PARTICIPATION FEE:The fee for the participation will be Rs.100/- per exhibit.For further details the in charge Philatelic Bureau, Bhubaneswar GPO may be contacted.The same can also be obtained from the website http://eipadownload.blogspot.com/ or the following persons can be contacted:Ajit Kumar Dash,Secretary, EIPA,D-13/6, Rental Colony,IRC Village, Bhubaneswar-751015 Ph.0674-2553330, Mobile-9437162474 Email: akdash2000@yahoo.comAnup Kumar Raut, Organising Secretary, EIPEX-08, D-13/3, Rental Colony, IRC Village, Bhubaneswar-751015 Ph.0674-2553336, Mobile-9437153336 Email: anupraut2000@yahoo.com

18 September 2008

Hi !A bridge is one of the earliest humans' ideas to overrule nature. The first bridges used to be as simple as spans of wooden logs fallen across a stream or precipice. Later they were made of ropes, beams and stones, and finally as sophisticated structures of iron, concrete and steel. Bridges are important elements of architecture; they are designed for transportation and strategic purposes. In Today's Post some famous bridges of Poland of constructed in 19th, 20th & 21st Century depicted on the beautiful stamps issued on 29th August 2008. I have also an interesting clipping to share with u on Post Box sent by ditinguished philatelist Mr. Yogesh Kumar from Bareilly. I am highly thankful for the contribution of all the philatelists who are sending their response and contributing for this e-stamp club and sharing their views, articles, news and bringing philatelists together on this blogosphere. This e- Stamp Club is also a bridge between philatelists living in different corners of the world and enabling them to join hands with each other. In our regular series some very beautiful se-tenants on famous children's fables from the album of Mr. Shrikant Parikh. This is all for the day & Have a Great Time....!

Postage stamps and First Day Cover

The Polish Post has issued a series of 4 stamps with famous Polish bridges constructed in the 19th, 20th and 21st century. The oldest one is a railway bridge in Toruń, and the other bridges are: Poniatowski Bridge in Warsaw, a welded bridge near Łowicz and Siekierkowski Bridge - the newest one in Warsaw. Two First Day Covers depict parts of bridge structure.

Ernest Malinowski bridge in Toruń

An iron truss bridge for railway built between 1870-1873 to connect railway lines and serve as fortifications in a lower part of the Vistula river. It covers the so - called Stara Wisła and Kępa Bazarowa. Its 20 meter high towers were decorated with figures that were removed in 1920 as they reminded of the town's Prussian history. The towers themselves were disassembled in the 50's of the 20th century. By 1934 it was the only bridge in Toruń for trains, cars and pedestrians. The bridge was destroyed two times in the II World War - by the Polish troops (in September 1939) and then by the German troops (in January 1945). After the war, the bridge was rebuilt. In 1999 it was named by Ernest Malinowski - famous engineer who constructed a railway line in the Andes.

Poniatowski Bridge in Warsaw

Built between 1904-1914 as a Warsaw's third bridge on the Vistula river, designed by engineers M. Marszewski and W. Paszkowski and supervised by S. Szyller - author of the Warsaw University of Technology (Politechnika Warszawska) buildings. Its characteristic features are neo-Polish renaissance towers and pavilion on the viaduct over Powiśle. Poniatowski bridge was seriously damaged in 1915 by the retreating Russian troops and rebuilt in 1921-1926. It was on this bridge when in 1926, during the May Coup d'Etat, Józef Piłsudski met Stanisław Wojciechowski. The bridge was for the second time destroyed by the German troops during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. Poniatowski bridge was rebuilt after the war (in 1946), however in a poorer shape, without decorative balustrades and some benches.

Bridge in Maurzyce

The first welded bridge in the world was designed by engineer Stefan Bryła in 1928. It was built on the Słudwia river (left Bzura's tributary). Welding significantly decreased the bridge's weight; earlier steel elements used to be joined by rivets or bolts. The bridge's weight is 55 tons.

Siekierkowski Bridge in Warsaw

Built between 2000-2002, however planned already during the interwar period. It is one of the elements of the 8-km long Trasa Siekierkowska yet to be finished. This seventh bridge on the Vistula river is a cable-stayed bridge supported by two pylons, with no pillars in the river current. Its characteristic orange cables are to warn and protect birds against any crashing.

Courtesy - Polish Post

Good Old PO Box doing well

NEW DELHI: Bride wanted. Tall, fair, slim, convent educated. Reply at PO box No 123, New Delhi.” A popular way of giving your address but still not giving it. The good old PO box continues to be a popular ‘address’, unhurt by the onslaught of the courier boom. A PO box or a personal locker-like facility at a post office is being used by many companies and people across the country, be it in the metros or the small towns, say officials. The department of posts enjoys monopoly in this regard and there is no competition, they say. “For a meagre sum of Rs 250, a person can book a PO box for a year,” says an official of the New Delhi GPO, popularly known as the ‘gole dak khana’. “The box account can be renewed after a year if the person so wishes, at the discretion of the post office,” he adds. “A PO box is very much secure as everything belonging to the person comes to the specified location. And only an authorised person can take out his things,” says Aparna Mohile, a former member of the postal services board. “These boxes are also helpful as sometimes postmen can play pranks and not deliver letters due to some personal grudge,” Ms Mohile says. However, the concerned post office is not responsible for any loss in documents arising out of the documents sent to a wrong address or lost in transit before reaching the PO box. This means the users of the PO box facility are availing the service at their own risk.

To prevent misuse, the facility is made available after scrutiny. A person cannot open a PO box just like that. “Whoever wants to open a box should furnish his full residential or office address to the post office. Only after a proper police verification of the address, the post office hands over the keys to the box,” the officials say. This is to ensure total genuineness of the applicant and to ensure that his motive for opening a box account is true, they say. “Other than police verification, even the post office PR Staff, if there are any, sometimes verify the addresses. So there is definitely no chance of misuse,” Ms Mohile says. PO box numbers have become a rage for contests on television, stay-at-home-earn-thousands jobs and even for banks. “PO boxes are very handy for competitions on television,” she said. Moreover, private sector banks in India are offering their services through PO box for NRI customers in the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore and UAE. Now, customers no longer have to incur expensive courier charges to send their documents, they can simply post them at a local PO box in their respective countries. PO box addresses are still a rage in African nations including Namibia and Jordan, where there is no ‘postman’ and consequently no home delivery. Hence, a person has no other choice than rent a PO box. This has been the only traditional way to receive mail there.

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Dear Philatelists

We are introducing our members through this Blog. Visitors may send details about themselves, collecting interests and webpages for inclusion in this Blog to- j.jyoti9@gmail.com .Philatelists may also write their experiences and views.Philatelic Clubs and Societies are invited to send brief write ups. The idea to start this club is to create interaction between the members and develop fraternity among philatelists round the globe.

A request to our ReadersThis is to inform all our readers that we are amateur philatelists and do not sell any item. We are receiving mails from many readers regarding the price of philatelic items published on this blog. This media is not used for any commercial purpose. So please do not write to inquire the price of the items published here.However an exchange of stamps and covers from the collectors all over the world is most welcome.